Crisfield johnson



G. JOHNSON.

COMBINED SNOW PLOW AND MELTER.

(No Model.)

No. 248,592. Patented Oct. 25,1881.

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Nv PETERS. Photo-Ulhognphur, wnhin lm- D. C.

ilnrrn STATES PATENT F F ICE.

COMBINED SNOW PLOW AND MELTER.

SPECIFICATION forming partof Letters Patent No. 248,592, dated October 25, 1881.

Application filed August 6,1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CRISFIELD J ()HNSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at East Aurora, in the county ofErie and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Combined Snow Plow and Melter; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters or figures of reference marked there-on, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to that class of devices known as snow melters, which are used in clearing railroad-tracks at times when the ordinary snow-plow is of no avail on account of the great depth of the snow upon the track.

Quite a number of devices of this class have been constructed, but they have all failed, so far as I am aware, to effect the purpose desired, both by reason of theirinability to furnish the requisite amount of heat, and to maintain such heat constantly at the proper point. Surfaces heated both by steam and hot air have been employed to melt the obstructing snow, and jets of steam and blasts of hot air have been directly employed to effect the desired end, but they have all failed, as above stated, to furnish and maintain the requisite amount of heat.

I propose by my improved apparatus to overcome all these difficulties heretofore encountered in a comparatively economical and most effective manner; and to this end my invention consists in a fire-box or furnace so mounted and constructed that it serves at once as a direct melting-surface and plow combined, and it is so arranged that a sufficient amount of heat can be easily and cheaply generated and maintained as long as required, and also that a comparatively small amount of the heat generated is wasted, as the snow is thrown in direct contactwith the outer surface of the furnace, where it is melted and the water conducted, by suitable means, to the sides of the track.

If the snow to be cleared from the track is not of sufficient depth to require melting, my device can be employed as an ordinary snowplow.

In the drawings, tudinal section of my device.

Figure 1 is acentral longi- Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the combined plow and furnace shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 4 is a central longitudinal section of a modification of my device, and Fig. 5 is plan view of the same.

Referring to the drawings, a, Fig. 1, is a compartment in the rear of my snow plow and melter for the. accommodation of the operator, storing of fuel, tools, &c., andis similar in construction to the rear part of an ordinary snowplow. bis the furnace, which extends the entire width of the compartment, and consists, substantially, of a front wall, I), of metal, preferably boiler-iron, and a rear wall, b of fire-brick or other non-conducting material, backed and supported in a substantial manner by timber suitably braced. The larger portion of the front of the furnace which comes in contact with the snow is a plane surface sloping back from the bottom at an angle of about forty-five degrees. The central part of the upper portion of the front and rear walls of the furnace from the point I) in Fig. 2 is constructed of wedge shape, the lines b showing the intersection of the wedge portion with the plane surface.

0 is the flue, which extends above the furnace vertically a distance of five feet, more or less, the front and rear walls of which form an extension of the walls of the furnace, and are of the same width.

Alongthe bottom of the front surface, I), of the furnace is constructed a gutter, d, which slopes each way from the center to the sides to carry off the water produced by the melting of the snow. Auxiliary gutters d are made in the surface I) to further facilitate the carrying off of the water. These gutters d are made either by grooving the upper surface of the iron or by attaching iron projections thereon, or by both combined. eis a fan-blower, of usual construction, which may be operated by any suitable motor, such as the engine 6, (shown in Fig. 1,) and by means of which a blast of air is introduced through pipes 6 into the furnace. These pipes e are arranged in two horizontal series of two or more pipes in each series, the lower series entering the furnace at or near the bottom, and the upper series a distance of three feet, more or less, above, as clearly shown in dotted circles c in Fig. 2. These pipes a are each provided with a stopcook, 6 to regulate the intensity of the blast. ffare doors through which the furnace is fed, and are located as shown in Fig. 3. These doors are constructed with hinged covers f at the top, and with sliding partitions f a short distance below. By this construction the fuel is introduced into the furnace without an escape of gas or cinders into the compartment a, which would otherwise occur, when fuel was introduced, by reason of the blast to which the fire is snhj ected. g is an ash-pit, from which the ashes may be removed from the furnace.

The fluecis provided with passages h,through which aview of the track may be obtained from the lookout 'i, located in the roof of the compartment immediately behind the passages h. In Figs. 4 and 5 I have shown a modification of my invention, in which both the entire front and rear walls of the furnace slope at an angle of about forty-five degrees, and in place of the wedge-shaped portion shown in Figs. 2 and 3 Iemploy the wed ge-shaped plow 7c, constructed of two curved pieces of metal (see Fig. 5) joined at k, and adjustably hinged atthepoints k to the upper portion of the furnace. At the points k are attached wires or chains is,

by means of which the plow k can be lifted up,

so as to permit the snow to strike the entire front surface of the furnace. The flue in this instance extends vertically, forming a continuation of the furnace, and is provided with passages l for the chains k, and also with a passage, l, similar to the passages h in Figs. 1 and 2.

A catch, k is placed upon the front of the furnace for securing the plow it against displacement when in use.

The operation of my device is as follows: The furnace is first filled with fuel as high as may be necessary and a slow fire maintained until more heat is required. The combined plow and melter is to be used as an ordinary snow-plow, forcing its way through drifts of moderate height by pressure alone. On reaching drifts so deep or compact that pressure alone will not sutfice the fire is to be subjected to a blast of air from the fan-blower, thus generating an intense heat in the furnace which is transmitted directly through the iron front to the snow. The plow is then to be driven through the snow by the com bined use of pressure and heat. As fast as the snow is melted the water is carried to the sides of the track by means of the gutters shown and described. 0n reaching snow of less depth the blast of air may be turned off, the heat reduced, and the plow again used as an ordinary snow-plow.

In the modification shown in Figs. 4 and 5 the operation is substantially the same, with the exception that on reaching the deep drifts the hinged wedge-shaped plow k is to be lifted up or removed out of the way, so as to permit the snow to strike the entire front surface of the furnace.

It will be seen that by my improved construction I accomplish what has never before been done-that is, to transmit the heat directly from the furnace to the snow through the metal front of the furnace, and also to combine this heat thus directly transmitted with the pressure obtained by using the device as an ordinary snow-plow.

I claim- 1. In a combined snow plow and melter, a furnace constructed with an outer or front wall of metal and a rear wall of non-conducting material, substantially as shown and described.

2. In a combined snow plow and melter, a furnace the outer or front wall of which serves as a plow, and which consists, substantially, of a plane surface sloping from the bottom at an angle of about forty-five degrees, and having the central part of the'upper portion of wedge shape,the sides of such wedge-shaped portion being vertical, or nearly so, and the rear wall of the furnace being substantially parallel with the front wall, as and for the purpose stated.

3. In a combined snow plow and melter, a. flue the central portion of whose walls are wedge-shaped, having the same general configuration as the upper wedged-shaped portion of the furnace shown and described, and forming an extension of the same, as and for the purpose stated.

4. In a combined snow plow and melter, a furnace the outer wall of which serves as a plow and melting-surface, said furnace being provided with oprnings in its rear walls, as shown, said openings having hinged and sliding doors to permit the insertion of fuel without an escape of gas and cinders, substantially as shown and described.

5. In a combined snow plow and melter, a flue, substantially as shown and described, provided with passages for observation.

6. In a combined snow plow and melter, the combination, with a furnace the outer wall of which serves as the plow and melting-surface, of openings provided with hinged and sliding doors, as shown, a flue which forms substantially a continuation of said furnace, and a fanblower for furnishing a blast of air to the furnace, substantially as shown and described.

7. In a combined snow plow and melter, the furnace shown and described, provided along the bottom of the front wall with a gutter, d, which slopes each w. y from the center, and the auxiliary gutters d, located above the gutter d, for carrying off the water to the sides of the track, substantially as shown and described.

P. CURAY DEMING, W. F. MILLER. 

